Chitina Personal Use Salmon FisheryPermits & Regulations

Permits are required for both the Chitina Personal Use Salmon fishery and the Glennallen Subdistrict Subsistence Salmon fishery. There is no fee charged for either permit.

The Chitina permit is for dip netting downstream of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge. The Glennallen permit is for dip netting OR using a fishwheel upstream of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge to the confluence of the Slana River.

Only one permit per household! A household may choose EITHER a Chitina Subdistrict Permit (below the bridge) OR a Glennallen Subdistrict Permit (above the bridge), not both.

You can obtain a Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Salmon Permit at many private vendors
who sell Alaska fishing/hunting licenses, or at your local ADF&G, Sport Fish Division office.

Those opting to get a Glennallen Subdistrict permit must also choose whether they will use a dipnet OR a fishwheel, not both. If you will be using a fishwheel that is not your own, the owner of the fishwheel must register the fish wheel and provide your name to the Glennallen ADF&G office before a permit for the fishwheel can be issued for your use. When you visit any of the above ADF&G offices to get your permit, please have with you the name of the fishwheel owner and the registered fishwheel number.

Fishwheel owners must register their fishwheels at either the Glennallen or Tok ADF&G offices.

Fishwheel owners must also provide the Glennallen ADF&G office with an updated list of authorized users for their registered fishwheel. Permits will not be issued to non-authorized (not on the list) individuals for fish wheel use.

Permits must be filled in each time you fish
You must record the date, location, and harvest by species each time you fish. You must fill in this information even if you did not catch any fish - write "0" in the space provided for harvest.

The salmon must be recorded on the permit before it is concealed from plain view, such as put in a cooler, or before the salmon is transported from the fishing site, such as your vehicle. Failure to record the salmon on the permit is a violation, and may be subject to fines and loss of future personal use fishing privileges.

Be sure to review the FAQ page and the appropriate regulations for more information, fishing requirements, and limits.

Reporting Requirements

Participation and harvest must be reported to ADF&G by the end of the fishing season, by October 15th, even if you did not use the permit, and even if you did use the permit but did not catch anything.

Failure to return the permit is a violation of 5 AAC 77.015(c) and may be subject to a $200 fine and loss of your personal use fishing privileges.

Harvest information recorded on the permit is used to monitor the fisheries and to ensure conservation and sustained yield of fishery resources.

You must possess a valid sport fishing license to participate in personal use fisheries, but not in subsistence fisheries. Households may participate in EITHER the Chitina Personal Use fishery or the Glennallen Subsistence fishery, but NOT BOTH.

You must have your permit (and license if personal use fishing) in your possession while fishing or transporting fish. Permits are issued to households, and all household members participating must be listed on the permit, and must possess a sport fishing license if participating in the Chitina Personal Use fishery.

Chitina Personal Use Fishery Regulations

What area is open to fishing?
The Chitina Subdistrict Personal Use Salmon Fishery is restricted to all waters of the mainstem Copper River from the downstream edge of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge downstream to an east-west line crossing the Copper River about 200 yards upstream of Haley Creek marked by ADF&G regulatory markers. All tributaries to the Copper River, including the Chitina River, are closed to subsistence fishing.

When may fish be taken?
The Chitina Personal Use Salmon Fishery is open during periods established by emergency order, based on salmon escapement estimates from the Miles Lake sonar. ALWAYS check the recorded numbers, schedule website, or ADF&G office before going to fish.

How may fish be taken?
A dipnet is the only legal gear that may be used in the Chitina Personal Use Salmon Fishery. In 5 AAC 39.105 of the Alaska Administrative Code, a dipnet is defined as

a bag-shaped net supported on all sides by a rigid frame;

the maximum straight-line distance between any two points on the net frame, as measured between any two points on the net frame, as measured through the net opening, may not exceed five feet;

the depth of the bag must be at least one-half of the greatest straight-line distance, as measured through the net opening;

no portion of the bag may be constructed of webbing that exceeds a stretched measurement of 4.5 inches;

the frame must be attached to a single rigid handle and be operated by hand.

Bag and possession limits

Limits are per household. A head of household is allowed 25 salmon, and for each additional household member the household is allowed 10 more salmon. As a portion of these limits, the annual limit for king salmon is one per household. Supplemental harvest periods are no longer scheduled.

Permittees must record all salmon on their permit and remove both tips of the tail fin from each salmon taken immediately upon landing a fish. Immediately is defined as before concealing the salmon from plain view or transporting the salmon from the fishing site.

Reporting Requiremements

Participation and harvest must be reported by October 15th. Failure to report your harvest is a violation of 5 AAC 77.015(c), and punishable by a $200 fine and loss of your personal use fishing privileges.

Glennallen Subdistrict Subsistence Fishery Regulations

What area is open to fishing?

The Glennallen Subdistrict Subsistence Salmon Fishery is restricted to all waters of the mainstem Copper River from the mouth of the Slana River downstream to the downstream edge of the Chitina-McCarthy Bridge. All tributaries to the Copper River, including the Chitina River, are closed to subsistence fishing.

Bag and possession limits.

The total annual limits for this fishery are 30 salmon for a household of one and 60 salmon for a household of two or more, of which no more than 5 may be Chinook salmon if taken by dip net. For a household of more than two, 10 salmon for each additional person may be added to the annual limit. The number of Chinook salmon (5) taken by dip net does not increase.

Upon request, permits for additional salmon will be issued with the following limits:

no more than a total of 200 salmon for a permit issued to a household with one person, of which no more than five may be Chinook salmon if taken by dip net;

No more than a total of 500 salmon for a permit issued to a household of two or more persons, of which no more than five may be Chinook salmon if taken by dip net.

When may fish be taken?

The Glennallen Subsistence Salmon Fishery is open June 1 through September 30. However, any fishery can be closed by emergency order to protect spawning escapement. ALWAYS check with your local ADF&G office before going to fish.

How may fish be taken?

Salmon may be taken in the Glennallen Subdistrict by fish wheel or dip net. Only one gear type may be specified on a permit.

Fish wheel registration and operation.

Fish wheels must be registered by the fish wheel owner at the Glennallen or Tok ADF&G office only. The Department will issue a numbered plaque for the fish wheel and that number and a separate plaque with the owner’s name and address or their permanent ID number (which must be a valid Alaska Drivers License number or Alaska State Identification number) must be permanently affixed and plainly visible on the fish wheel when the fish wheel is in the water (see sign material and lettering size specifics below). The fish wheel owner must provide a list of those persons eligible to use the fish wheel at the time of registration. The owner may contact the Glennallen ADF&G office at anytime during the season to add additional users to the list. A person will not be issued a Glennallen Subdistrict Subsistence Salmon Fishery permit for a fish wheel, unless he is on the owner’s list. The owner of the fish wheel is responsible for the fish wheel when the fish wheel is in the water. A fishery permit holder (who is not the fish wheel owner) must also attach a wood, metal, or plastic plate at least 12 inches high by 12 inches wide with their name and address in letters and numerals at least one inch high to the fish wheel where it is plainly visible when operating the fish wheel. A permit holder may operate only one fish wheel at a time. Fish wheels must be removed from the water at the end of the fishing period specified on the permit (currently October 1).